The story of Tanah Lot

The temple stands on a large rock offshore, and you can reach it on foot only at low tide. Tanah Lot, whose name means land in the sea in Balinese, lies in Beraban, about 20 kilometres northwest of Denpasar. It is one of seven main Balinese sea temples along the island's southwestern coast, and its main deity is Dewa Baruna, or Bhatara Segara, the god of the sea.

Tradition credits it to the 16th-century religious figure Dang Hyang Nirartha, who is said to have spent a night here during his long travels through Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa; he is worshipped here as well. In the 1980s, the rock face began to crumble, and the area became dangerous. A loan from the Japanese government helped conserve the temple and other important sites in Bali, and today more than a third of the rock is artificial, created during that restoration.

According to a 2019 study, Tanah Lot draws an average of 500,000 visitors a year.